Public Statements

Blog: Common Core Polluted by Federal Guidelines and Mandates

The first principle of education, and therefore of education policymaking, is that parents are the primary educators of their children.

And because responsibility for children's education lies primarily with parents, to the greatest extent possible so should decision-making authority over Pre-K to secondary education.

The further such decisions are removed from the parents and guardians of children, the further they are removed from those who will promote the best interests of students.

Therefore federal influence over pre-K, elementary, and secondary education should be limited. Neither members of Congress nor Department of Education bureaucrats can be expected to promote the interests of individual students -- with unique talents, interests, and learning styles -- more than those students' own parents, teachers or principals.

While the Common Core Standard Initiative was initially promoted as an effort to move in this direction, it has become polluted with Federal guidelines and mandates that interfere with the ability of parents, teachers and principals to deliver the education our children deserve. Based upon this, I have joined Senator Chuck Grassley, and several other colleagues, in demanding that further interference by the U.S. Department of Education with respect to state decisions on academic content standards be eliminated.